Atherosclerosis is a form of arteriosclerosis in which plaque accumulates in an arterial vessel and the artery wall thickens as a result of invasion and accumulation of white blood cells on the inner artery vessel walls. These plaque accumulations contain both living, active WBCs (producing inflammation) and remnants of dead cells, including cholesterol and triglycerides. The remnants eventually include calcium and other crystallized materials, to form plaque. The plaque reduces the elasticity of the artery vessel walls. It is commonly referred to as a “hardening” or furring of the arteries.
Over time these plaques can become large enough to reduce or occlude blood flow through the vessels, leading to symptoms of low blood flow. To treat this disease blood flow must be restored through the vessel, by removing or reducing the size of these plaques.
Various types of atherectomy catheters and devices have been used to remove unwanted plaque from blood vessels to open the vessel and improve blood flow. Atherectomy catheters and devices are intravascular devices that mechanically remove plaque from the artery vessel walls.
However, atherectomy catheters and devices often undesirably cut, perforate, tear and stretch the vessel, causing scar formation. Such scar tissue causes inflammation, stenosis and blocks flow in the vessel and often needs to be removed. Furthermore, atherectomy catheters often run at high speeds causing temperature and causing damage to the vessels. Finally, atherectomy catheters block arterial blood flow completely during plaque removal, resulting in high vessel blood pressure, and posing a danger to the patient.
It is therefore desirable to provide improved atherectomy catheters and methods. An atherectomy catheter that efficiently removes plaque from artery vessel walls, without cutting or permanently stretching the walls. Devices that do not reduce blood flow during operating.